Not only does Battlefield Vietnam improve on its acclaimed predecessor, but it also sets a lofty new standard for online PC warfare. PC Battlefield 1942 blew away jaded PC gamers with its realistic World War II arsenal, authentic combat scenarios, and hard-boiled online gameplay. Against all odds, Battlefield Vietnam successfully rejuvenates this battle-hardened formula to create the best PC shooter in ages.

Battlefield Vietnam introduces a whole new style of gameplay then was in the original Battlefield. Sure the basic element of shooting people and blowing things up is still there, but Battlefield Vietnam adds a whole new element to the strategic aspect of gameplay, but I’ll get to that a bit later. Vietnam is not a hard game to pick up on, and those that have played Battlefield 1942 will have an even easier time learning it, however there are a few new additions to the gameplay that everyone should be aware of.

Battlefield Vietnam is very impressive. It's a Battlefield game, in all the best ways that count: gameplay, balance, atmosphere; but it's a new game in many other ways--a different period, more classes, customizable characters, more weapons, nicely modeled helos, new and quite interesting maps, and utterly great graphics. Battlefield Vietnam wins the war of multiplayer action/wargames.

Battlefield Vietnam is just an utterly fantastic multiplayer shooter, and while it doesn't replace Battlefield 1942, it's a perfect complement. I just wish I had more hours in the day so I could play both of them.

Battlefield Vietnam's implementation is glorious, a triumph of multiplayer design. The graphics are smooth and the audio is outstanding, creating an atmosphere that only a few games can. Each battle is different, packed with more naturally created set pieces and nuggets of brilliance than almost any game out there. It is, without a doubt, one of the best multiplayer games out there today, and if you don't fall in love with it the second you jump in a Huey and put Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, then you're just not trying hard enough.

There aren’t too many games out there that have quite the following Battlefield has. Battlefield 1942 did an amazing job creating a believable war experience, allowing players to pilot aircraft, drive landside vehicles such as tanks and jeeps, or command the seas with enormous battleships and submarines. With Battlefield 1942 being such a great game, and a huge success, it wasn’t surprising to hear that another would be coming out. This time the Battlefield universe has been taken into the jungle during the Vietnam War in the appropriately titled Battlefield Vietnam, brought to us by DICE and EA.

With all of the additions made to an already-great game, Battlefield Vietnam will satisfy more than a few gamers' needs. Some bugs and glitches are sure to arise, but if EA supports this title like they did Battlefield 1942, those bugs will be squashed quickly and repeatedly. A strong multiplayer community will likely follow this title, so practicing your skills early will help lead to victory. DICE is proving to be a truly great developer, and their efforts are well-received in my eyes.

I'm a lover, not a fighter in real life, but if I play this game a little bit more, I think I'll start having "flashbacks" of battles in the jungle while I'm hanging out with my friends at the mall. I think it needs a little more oomph on more scenario's and the detail in the graphics. Also, conquering control points over and over gets too repetitive after long play. On the other hand, this game has enough action to keep the game in decent standing with me.

Battlefield Vietnam packs more dramatic moments in its gameplay than most any multiplayer-focused action game in the past few years. Strictly compared against its 2-year-old predecessor, it's a better-designed game, featuring better technology--as you'd probably expect. And it's a better executed game; Battlefield Vietnam doesn't ship with any of the game-breaking bugs and flaws that Battlefield 1942 shipped with, which were fortunately addressed by postrelease patches. Yet, even when Battlefield fans factor in the new vehicles--namely, the helicopters--that still won't change the sense that they've played this game before. Perhaps it's because so many of us have played Battlefield 1942 for countless hours, but the fact remains that the thrill of discovery is gone. Make no mistake, though: Battlefield Vietnam is a great, undeniably fun game.

With the inclusion of a fully accessible level editing utility included with the game, as well as the capacity to accept third party modifications, Battlefield Vietnam is probably going to make as big an impact as Battlefield 1942 did, and I look forward to seeing it really take off once custom game types start being released. I came to see Charlie, but I think I'm going to stay for the thrill of hauling boats around via chopper tow-cable. Wahoo!

In conclusion, at first glance, Battlefield: Vietnam will seem like a beefed up BF1942 with a number of minor or moderate gameplay changes. Once you start analyzing what you've experienced, however, and once the new features start to sink in, you'll change your mind to some degree and acknowledge what DICE has done here. OK, so you could argue that most of what we've seen in the game has been featured in mods or expansions, and to a degree you will be right, but that's now a matter of what you expect this sequel to bring. Battlefield: Vietnam will provide a nice change of pace for the BF1942 fanatics, and it's certainly hella fun in multiplayer (that goes without saying), but it will also receive flak from some for not pushing the envelope even further. What I personally would've liked to have seen from DICE is even more creativity in terms of map design, game modes and player classes.

Battlefield: Vietnam follows in the footsteps of its predecessor as a fun, engrossing online experience, but those who have played BF 1942 might be a little miffed that Vietnam is so similar. The gameplay that was amazing a year and a half ago is not as shockingly new, leading to a battle that many of you will feel you’ve already fought. Still, the seamless inclusion of land, sea and air combat coupled with the intensity of jungle warfare wins it a medal of honor.

Let me preface this article by first admitting that I was a Battlefield 1942 junkie. Several of us were. Back when it was released, we were actually taking time out of our weekends on Friday nights to sit around in the office where we had just spent 10 hours working in order to play a good game of Battlefield with the readers from the site. It was a masterful game that changed a lot of rules for the creation of team-based multiplayer shooters. Obviously, when we saw an icon of Battlefield Vietnam sitting on the desktop of an EA employee during a visit down to Redwood City to see one of the 1942 expansions, we got pretty excited. While Vietnam isn't exactly the friendliest of subjects, the terrain and type of warfare presented some interesting opportunities for gameplay. So the question is now that Battlefield Vietnam has been released, did it live up to all of our expectations of addition, innovation, and excitement?

This game is a bit more hardcore and unfriendly than the original Battlefield—and as such, it might be more appealing to veterans than newbies. The maps are tougher. the fighting more furious, the spawn points more crammed together. It’s a bit chaotic, a bit of a nightmare. Which means maybe it is about Vietnam after all.

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Game Informer Magazine

All of the imbalances and similarities to BF 1942 aside, BF Vietnam is till an incredibly good time if you can find an amicable crew of fellow soldiers. The strategies that are possible with the map design and different abilities of vehicles and kits are numerous, and successfully assaulting or defending a fortified position with good teamwork is very rewarding. I just can't recommend this rough of a product too highly to people who aren't already Battlefield junkies.

I paraphrase my distinguished colleague Mr Edwards when I say that this is one game that you won't really care if you miss out on, but also a game that you'll definitely be glad of if you do decide to make it your next adventure behind a gun. Put that paradox in your pipe and smoke it.

Battlefield Vietnam squeaks into the 80th percentile only due to our confidence that the bugs and performance problems will be fixed by patching. If we scored the game based on how it is now, it'd be in the low 70s. Nobody should put up with that kind of lag in a game that's completely focused on multiplayer, certainly not in the sequel to a game which had the same issues at launch. BFV's lack of originality can't be excused - not only isn't it all that much different from the original, it isn't even clearly better than the Desert Combat mod. On the one hand, we're glad that DICE didn't fix what wasn't broken, but on the other, there's still the vague feeling that the Battlefield games are rough around the edges and could use something to spruce them up and put them over the top.

The Vietnam War was a turning point in American history. For the first time, war footage as being beamed into America's homes via the now-ubiquitous television and the average Joe realized that war is hell. Electronic Arts is moving into seldom-chartered waters by releasing a game based on this controversial conflict, but looking at their recent accomplishments with Battlefield 1942 and the Medal of Honor series, they are the right company for the job. EA has done their homework and filled Battlefield Vietnam with realistic weapons and vehicles, as well as doing an excellent job creating Vietnam-like terrain and scenery. This is one powerful war simulation, and I expect many, many gamers to enjoy playing it.

There's no doubt that Battlefield Vietnam is more like an expansion pack than a sequel. It's not significantly different than the original, nor is it markedly better than Desert Combat mod. Fortunately, there are more vehicles and on a lot of maps the points are close together, making the combat a lot more frantic. There are only a few minor problems - the requirements are very steep and will not run well on a slow computer, and there are some graphical glitches that will hopefully be fixed with the next patch. Those who don't have a powerful enough machine or a fast enough connection to be competitive will hate this game, but if you can get it running, Battlefield Vietnam is still one of the best multiplayer experiences around.

I don’t think any game has accomplished the feeling of actually living in a certain era as well as Battlefield Vietnam. From the incredible soundtrack that features songs such as CCR’s “Fortunate Son,” Deep Purple’s “Hush,” “War” by Edwin Star, “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane and a host of other popular songs from the memorable 60s and 70s, to the N.V.A. announcing over loudspeakers “G.I. your helicopters fall from the sky like broken birds, they lie to you G.I., it is a good idea to leave a sinking ship, you have lost this war G.I.,” etc., the game almost gives you a glimpse of what it may have been like to fight in the Vietnam War. The other fun part about the game is the fact that you can draw several similarities from war movies such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and Full Metal Jacket.

While the gaming industry has done World War II a million times over, the latest war-du-jour these days is the more morally ambiguous Conflict in Vietnam. Chances are nobody will be able to capture it with quite the panache of Dice and Electronic Arts, the duo that put together our 2002 mutliplayer game of the year, Battlefield 1942. Battlefield Vietnam has all the flavor of the era, most of the hardware involved, and some of the best multiplayer gameplay you'll find in a war-themed first-person shooter.